Westport Shipyards has been building yachts for 49 years, in the process earning a reputation for consistent on-time, on-budget delivery and high standards in customer service. To the latter, Westport prides itself on maintaining contact with each series-built megayacht after delivery, from the Pacific Marine 85 to the Westport 164, with 24-hour service around the world. “Series” is also a key word. Indeed, Westport management likens its process to that of the private aviation industry, where a standard platform is the backbone of every new jet.
In this Megayacht News Leadership Series interview, Daryl Wakefield, president of Westport Shipyards, delves into that philosophy and provides additional details on where Westport is headed model-wise, plus gives his views on the global megayacht industry.
MYN: How did Westport carve its niche for semi-custom/semi-production yachts when most focused on fully custom construction?
DW: Westport had begun its motor yacht production building fully custom yachts and struggled to manage the build times and the budgets. When Orin Edson became a partner, he wanted to standardize as many things as were logically possible ultimately providing a far more predictable foundation that we then could personalize the interior and décor much more efficiently enabling Westport to better manage the build process.
MYN: It has been suggested that Westport based its production methods and project management discipline on Boeing, and that Westport could predict almost to the minute when each hull would be launched/delivered. Is that still the case? Are there still more ways of improving efficiencies and the overall quality of the yacht herself when a construction process like this one is already pretty streamlined and predictable?
DW: Generally we can predict at the time we make a sale precisely what the boat will cost and when it will deliver. Westport builds on a very tight schedule. The marketplace has an impression that you get a boat from Westport, that’s only our way, and that there are no lateral choices or options, which is not the case. However, because of the tight schedule we are on, we may require additional time to accommodate their request.
MYN: Who is the typical Westport buyer?
DW: The majority of our buyers are Americans; however, we have a great following from all around the globe. Well over half of our buyers have come back at least once, if not twice, and one in particular has come back six times. Yes, we have had customers that, by choice, have owned more than one Westport at the same time. We’ve had clients who entered the world of yachting on a 130. We have had clients comment after having built a fully custom boat, later moving to a Westport, using our process and found it to be very simple.
MYN: A few years ago, Westport considered adding a model to bridge the gap between the 130 and 164 but held off because of the recession. Are there plans to introduce it in the coming year or so?
DW: We are always looking at the market and do our best to predict what the next move will be, and it appears there is some increased interest in that size range. A move like that would require us to build another factory, and we are always developing at least the concepts.
MYN: How does Westport see the current state of the industry?
DW: I don’t think anyone is immune from what is going on with our economy. It’s easy to overlook what’s ahead in the market during the good times, but it’s important to always do your best to prepare for the difficult times.
MYN: What did Westport do to help it get through the slump?
DW: We kept our heads down, worked hard, had to make some difficult decisions but did our best to maintain our focus.
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